Building High Performance Culture
Whether you are part of a sports team or company, the culture you build is everything. But it's not the culture of ping-pong tables, company swag, faux social programs, or the ability to work from wherever you want. That's all a distraction embraced by the average team member.
Teams and leaders that achieve and maintain high performance culture do it by managing two elements:
- Professional Ability (High Performance) – a combination of raw skills, intuition, IQ/EQ, and results.
- Citizenship (Culture) – who you are, something that you can control. Consists of day to day performance, interaction with peers, how you are perceived by teammates, commitment to the team, ability to meet expectations, and make an impact. The energy and enthusiasm you bring every day, and ability to inspire.
Top talent is critical, but the teams with the most talent don't always win. The teams with the best blend of the two do. The result is also a high trust environment.
This matrix has been a good framework for me:
Each member of a team generally falls into one of the four quadrants:
Low Professional Ability/Low Citizenship: Non-Participant
History of making poor decisions and/or consistent poor performance/effort. Their actions take away focus from company and/or team goals. The ability to increase professional skillset is bleak. They do not have the ability at this time to be a part of this company/team.
High Professional Ability/Low Citizenship: Problem
Able to make an impact based on raw ability. However, they make poor decisions that show it is hard to rely on them. Teammates see and/or are made aware of negative and condescending behavior. Do not meet expectations because they don't take care of the things that they can control. Actions are seen as selfish and something that could jeopardize the hard work to build a world class culture. Negative or passive energy that is something teammates do not want to be around.
Low Professional Ability/High Citizenship: Emerging
Shown that they are a committed individual. Teammates are willing to invest the time and energy necessary to helping them reach their potential in their career. They have the potential to become exemplary. Results and skills expected to gradually improve.
High Professional Ability/High Citizenship: Exemplary
Demonstrated that they are capable of making excellent decisions, consistently. Regularly do things not asked to help make an impact and exceed expectations. Their skills have allowed them to become a key contributor that people rely upon. Model of consistency in both professional ability and citizenship. Commitment is valued by the team and their leadership is counted on. Bring an unquantifiable way of being, energy, and enthusiasm to work everyday. Always display a high sense of urgency.
Nothing kills the ability build high performance culture more than when the wrong things get rewarded or go unaddressed.
Using this as a guide has helped me so far in my career, whether it's been as a leader or an individual contributor.
In all cases, over-index towards people with high-citizenship. Don't tolerate people in the problem quadrant no matter how much professional ability might have.
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